Barbara E. Pigeon, active in politics, volunteer work

Barbara E. Pigeon, the mother of former Erie County Democratic Chairman G. Steven Pigeon and active in politics and volunteer work, died Tuesday in the Cleveland Clinic after a short illness. She was 74.

Born Barbara Simeone in Quincy, Ill., she grew up in St. Louis, where she attended St. Margaret of Scotland School and graduated from St. Elizabeth Academy in 1957.

Later that year, she married Gerald Pigeon of Buffalo, whom she met while he was stationed in St. Louis with the Air Force. He died in 2005.

The family moved in 1964 to Aurora, Ill., where her husband worked as an air traffic controller. They moved to West Seneca in 1972, where she was a secretary for John Hancock Insurance Co. until her retirement.

Mrs. Pigeon was well known for her work on many of her son’s political campaigns and served as a Democratic committeewoman from West Seneca and Hamburg.

She was also a member of the West Seneca Planning Board during the 1990s.

Her son, the former chairman, recalled Friday that as he progressed in politics through the years, he inevitably seemed to get his mother involved in campaign after campaign.

“She was always at headquarters, whether it was for Vince Graber or Jim Griffin or somebody else,” he said, referring to the former assemblyman and former mayor. “Even through all my political trials and tribulations, she saw good in everybody.”

A longtime member of Queen of Heaven Catholic Church, she sang in the church choir and participated in parish volunteer work.

Besides her son, she is survived by two daughters, Michelle Gimbrone and Renee Sills.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9 a.m. Monday in Queen of Heaven Church, Seneca Street and Mill Road, West Seneca.